Improvement in steam vacuum-pumps



C. H. HALL.

" Improvement in Steam Vacuum-Pumps.

No. 131,516, Patented sep.24,1872.

4H. MarwL/rwnn/F/np ocx/ux fasqaRA/ES Mauss) UNrrED STATES CHARLES H. HALL, OF NEW-YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT INV STEAM VACUUM-PUMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,516, dated September 21, 1872.

CASE B.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. HALL, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Pumping Water, of which the following is a specification:

'Ihe invention described in the following specification relates to a new apparatus operated by steam and designed to raise and force water, oils, acids, and other liquids by pulsations, and in all respects to take the place of the steam-pump in mines, manufactories, ships, wells, Src. It may also be employed as a steam fire-engine; or, as is shown in the accompanying drawing, it may be used to supply a steamboiler with water, in which position it works automatically.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to construct and operate my apparatus, I will proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, like letters referring to similar parts, in which- Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of my apparatus in position upon a section of an ordinary steam-boiler, showing its operation while supplying a boiler with water. Fig. 1

4is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical diagonal section through line k, Fig. 4, of one of the working-chambers and the passage leading to one of the vacuumchambers above, showing their connection and operation. Fig. liis ahorizontal section through both of the working-chambers. Fig. 5 is a orizontal section through the vacuum-chamers.

A A are two upright cylindrical `chambers with a tight bottom and flanged open top, and which., together with passages a a, m a', and b 11,1 cast or otherwise make in one piece. B B are two other chambers, also cast in one piece, with its lower ange made sufficiently large to cover the tops of' chambers A A, to

which it is strongly bolted or riveted, and in such position above the same as to communicate with them properly through passages a a, b b, and a: as, as is shown in Fig. l. C is another casting in one piece, with its lower iiange bolted rmly to top of chambers B B and communicatin g with the same through valve-openings in chamber C. In the upper portion of the last-mentioned casting are formed all the necessary check-valve seats and water-passages to and from the apparatus. d is a lining of non-conducting substance covering the inside of chambers, as is shown. For this purpose I employ any good non-conductor of heat, capable also of resisting the action of steam. E E are steam-pipes leading from chambers AA, and, joining at C, connect with any steamboiler. The inner terminations of said pipes form valve-seats within the chamber, butin the case shown they lead downward through the shell of the boiler and terminate at the water-line of said boiler in a cup, h, which stands within the same. Said cup is perforated at or near the bottom with several small holes, so that the water it contains will constantly remain at the samelevel as that within the boiler. r 1' are two rods, the upper ends of which are fitted to the valve-seats just before described, steam-tight, and terminate at their lower ends upon the short end of levers l l, respectively, and are so arranged as to move freely up and down so as to operate as a perfect valve, as shown in Fig. 2. Levers Z l operate upon fulcrums t' t, and extend across the bottom of chambers A A and into passages a c, and in which the ends move freely up and down. g g are two other rods which are attached to the long end of levers Z l and within passages c a, and extending upward through said passages, and also through chambers B B, pass through the top of said chambers by means of an opening just sufficient to allow the same to move up and down freely. m m are two floats of cork, but may be any good non-conductor of heat, which I place in chambers A A so as to fit closely, yet work freely withinthe same. u u are two other oats, which I place in chambers B B fastened to rods g g near the top of said chambers, arranged to work freely within the same. P is a pipe, which leads from the well, tank, hydrant, or other source of supply to the apparatus. O is a water-pipe `leading from my apparatus to the steam-boiler, which, after passing through the shell thereof, extends longitudinally to and fro any desired number of times, and then ends below the water-line, as shown in Fig. 1. y is a pipe leading upward from chamber C to any desired tank or reservoir. Throttle-valves of ordinary construction are placed upon pipes o and y, op-

2 reinste eratin g as hereinafter described. t t are cups formed upon the top of chamber B B, and around rods g g at their upper termination. W represents a beam pivoted, at the center upon a pin with holes drilled near its ends,

through which the ends of rods g g work loosely, and so arranged that the ends of said beam, in its vibrations, will strike the shoulders on said rods alternately. D represents a weightedarm fastened at right angles to beamW,

so constructed that when said beam is in a horizontal position the weight above is perpendicular and counterpoised, but holds the end of the beam with force upon the shoulders of whichever of rods g git may be inclined toward. R represents a strong hollow cylindrical chamber placed upon the end of spring-pipe S, so arranged that it will spring upward or downward according to theweight ot'water it contains. Pipe S leads from near thelowerpart of cylinder R, and passes through pipe E, and opens into cup h at a point lower down than the end of pipe E.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of my apparatus when being employed to supply a boiler with water, as shown, which explanation, with some slight modifications,

Y corresponding to different conditions, and obvious to any engineer, will apply to all the uses for which it may be employed. Vhen it is in position upon a boiler and connected thereuf'ith, as shown, steam enters through the open valve at the top of rod r into the top of one of the chambers A, and exerting a pressure equal to the initial pressure within the boiler, it depresses the water in said chamber A, with the float m lying on its surface; and the water thus being forced downward passes through passage a up into its corresponding chamber B above, and from thence upward,

past the iioat a, it flows through its corresponding check-valve, not represented, into chamber C, and from thence downward through pipe O intothe boiler. There being an open passage for the steam to enter, and another for the continuous outflow of water, the operation continues until the said chamber A is nearly emptied of water and an equal bulk of steam has taken its place. This condition is shown in Fi 2, where the water-line appears depressed to nearly the bottom of the chamber. Simultaneous with the last-described movement the steam also displaces the water in passage b, said water-line always keeping the same level as the corresponding chamber A, and when it has reached a point a little below the position shown in Fig. 2 the steam instantly rushes from chamber A upward through the corresponding passage w into chamber B above, which, being full of cold water, condenses the same and produces a vacuum within. Into this vacuum nearly all the steam in the chamber A immediately rushes and is condensed. The pressure being thereby suddenly reduced and equalized `between chambers A and B, the water in chamber B instantly sinks through passage a, owing inward through the aperture a into chamber A; and, simultaneous with the downflow of the water from chamber B, the iloat a within, attached to rod g, receives a strong ,iniiux of water above it from the inow through pipe P, and acting upon the long end of lever raises rod r, and shuts off the further entrance of steam to the chamber A, the cold water rushing into chamber B through pipe P, and the proper check-valve lls the same, thus taking the place of the water which has gone to fill chamber A and passages a, m, and b, and this portion of the apparatus is again ready for the inflow of steam, as at first n described. But the steam cannot enter said chamber Aby reason of the weight of counterpoise D resting upon the top of rod g, and acting through lever Z holds the rod a, rmly into its seat in the top of the chamber A, and will continue to so hold it until the pulsation to take place at the proper time in the opposite group of chambers A B and connected passages. When such effect occurs in the opposite side of the apparatus, the forces holding down the rod g on this side are overcome, and said rod g will be lifted up bybouyancy of the float n in chamber B, which will rise and lift the lever W, and also acting below, tilt the lever Z, and open the valve or rod 1', and the steam will then enter and expel the water again, as first above particularly described. While the operation just above described is going on in one of the groups of chambers and passages--to wit., the chambers A and B and passages a x and b b on one side-the same alternately filling and emptying as they are successively brought under the influence of pressure and vacuum, the opposite group of chambers and passages A B, Sac., are in an opposite condition respectively-that is, while the water is being forced from one of the chambers A and finally out through pipe O, it is at the same time being drawn into the other chamber A from the tank or well through pipe P, and this operation continues indefinitely, a nearly continuous stream of water coming into the apparatus and a corresponding stream owin g out, the arrangement of check-valves and passages in chamber C being suitable to accomplish this result. rPhe purpose of the beam W and the counterpoise-weight D is merely to hold the steam-valve closed in the chamber A, toward which said weight may be inclined, until the opposite chamber shall have become emptied of its contents, as before described. The pressure holding it down will be relieved when the inclination of the counterpoise-lever will be reversed, and it will open and hold down the opposite rod g. The water-line in the opposite chamber being emptied, has reached the dischargingpoint and the steam escaped therefrom. The purpose of cups t t being to avoid the necessity for stufling-boxes, they should be kept full of water, the water serving as a packing for the rods g g, a sufficient quantity being forced up into said cups during the outflow of water to prevent the entrance of air while a vacuum exists within the chamber below. Floats m my are provided and arranged in chambers A A for the purpose of reducing the condensation of steam which would otherwise take place were the surface of the water eX- posed to its iniiuence. The sides and top of said chamber I also furnish with the non-conducting coating of rubber or analogous material, for the purpose of preventin g the heat from being conducted away by direct contact with the metal of which the chambers are composed. Pipeyis provided and is furnished with a valve or cock, S, for the purpose of forcing water into any tank, reservoir, or fountain, whenever it may be desirable to do so,instead of supplying the boiler as shown; or a hose with suitable nozzle may be attached to said pipe when the apparatus may be employed as a steam-fire engine. The operation of cup h within the boiler,in combination with steam-pipe E, is inthe manner following: Said cup stands upon the iiues of the boiler or in such position as that the desired water-line to be maintained in the boiler shall be between the ends of pipes E and S, which hang into the said cup, the one inside the other. Now, said cup being perforated with several small holes at or near the bottom, it is obvious that the true waterline the apparatus will cease until such time as the water-line will leave the end of" said pipe exposed, when the water will again resume its iiow into the boiler. The stop-cock or pipe O islprovided to shut off the iiow of the water to the boiler when it is desired to force the same elsewhere through pipe y. The object of the device contained in the combination of chamberRand pipe S is to provide a low-water alarm to operate in case the supply of water should fail in coming to the apparatus by reason of clogged valves or pipes leading thereto. Its operation is as follows: While the water-line in the boiler and cup is above the end of tube S the chamber B is full of water, and, being arranged upon the arm of a fiexible tube, S, it is necessarily depressed; but as soon as the water should reach a point below the end of the small tube before mentioned the water in chamber B will flow into the boiler through said tube, and steam will take the place of said water in said chamber. This will cause the chamber to rise upward in consequence of the weight of water within being removed, and, by applying that movement to springing an alarm, ringing a gong, or opening a whistle or other obvious device, I provide a means by` which all dan ger from low water may be averted, the operation of the apparatus before described being in itself` a perfect high-water detecter, it never being possible for it to rise above the end of pipe E in cup h.

Thus, for all purposes, I have an apparatus which takes the place of a steam-pump in raising or forcing water or other liquids. It is simple, compact, cheap, and durable, and superior to any ordinary pump, producing a more perfect vacuum, and forcing water further with a a given pressure-always ready for operation. It will raise muddy water without danger of wearing out the apparatus.

This patent is for only a portion of my invention. There is another portion thereof, which is not claimed herein, a-nd is made the subject of another application by me, bearing an earlier date, and which has not yet been issued.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, is-

l. The chamber A and passa-ges a b in combination with chamber B and contracted steam connection E and valve o, arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

2. The chamber G with its valves and pas sages arranged and operating -relatively to chambers B B and A A, as specified.

, 3. The weighted beam W, arranged to. serve relatively to the two valves r r, and the two groups of chambers A B and connections, as specified.

4. The apparatus herein described, consisting of chambers A A and B B, connected with passages 'a a and b b, the whole in combination with steam-valves fr r, levers t t, rods g g, and oa-ts n n, constructed and operated substantially as shown and described.

In testimony of whereof I have hereunto set my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. HALL. Witnesses:

THOMAS D. SrEtrsoN, ARNOLD HOERMANN. 

